The present invention relates to an optical MDF (Main Distributing Frame) system, which is installed in a telephone office or a data communication office, and interconnects each external lines to respective office lines. The present invention relates, in particular, to an optical MDF system for interconnection of optical fiber lines, and further, the present invention relates to such a system, which automates a jumbering operation for the interconnection.
An MDF (main distribution frame) is installed in a telephone office, a data communication office, or an ordinary business building, and functions to connect each external line to the selected office line, and to test the selected external line by coupling a test apparatus to the selected external line. When a telephone subscriber moves his address, the connection in the MDF must be changed. The connection operation of an MDF is called a jumpering operation.
Conventionally, a jumpering operation is carried out manually.
FIG. 1 shows a concept of a prior optical MDF system. In the figure, the numeral 9 are subscriber optical lines, which are terminated to a terminal board 13. The terminal board 13 has a connector adapter 14 for each subscriber optical line. The numeral 10 are office optical lines, which are terminated by a connector plug 15. One of the connector plugs 15 is manually coupled with the selected connector adapter 14 according to the desired connection of an external line and an office line.
However, a prior manual jumpering operation has the disadvantages that it takes long time for each interconnection, and the labour cost for the operation is coming high. It is afraid that the cost for jumpering operation would occupy much ratio of the total telephone office cost in future when amount of optical communication service increases.